Could this be due to an increase in testing or better testing strategy rather than an increase in cases? Daily COVID cases have been rising significantly over t

Could this be due to an increase in testing or better testing strategy rather than an increase in cases? Daily COVID cases have been rising significantly over the last couple months in California, while deaths have been flat or slightly declining. Deaths are probably a more accurate indicator than positive tests, so it seems like positive test results do not match the actual case count very well.